Do You Have Christmas Tree Pests?

Shake out your Christmas tree to expel insects before bringing it into your New Berlin WI or Oshkosh WI home - Batzner Pest Control

While there’s nothing quite like the authentic look and smell of a real evergreen for your Christmas tree, there’s something you might not know: a single Christmas tree can harbor as many as 25,000 insects!

But before you panic, know that most Christmas tree pests are completely harmless and won’t survive long in your home’s warm, dry environment. Here’s everything you need to know about Christmas tree bugs and how to keep them out of your home this holiday season.

Common Christmas Tree Pests

Christmas tree insects are typically so small that you might never notice them. Most of these tiny hitchhikers aren’t adapted to indoor living and will naturally die off within a few days of being inside your home. 

Still, it helps to know what you might encounter when you bring a real tree through your front door:

  • Aphids: Perhaps the most common insect in Christmas trees, aphids are usually found in the lower branches of evergreen, balsam fir, spruce, Fraser firs, or white fir trees.
  • Bark Beetles: These wood-boring insects are about the size of a grain of rice. Holes in the branches or trunk of your tree (or sawdust on your floor) are signs of bark beetles.
  • Mites: These minuscule bugs cause needle loss in Douglas firs, white pines, spruce trees, or Fraser firs.
  • Spiders: Probably the most feared Christmas tree pest is the spider! Spider egg sacs hidden within Christmas trees can cause homeowners a lot of grief.
  • Praying Mantises: These identifiable insects are large, green, and harmless. Praying mantis egg sacs are also commonly found in Christmas trees.

What to Do if You Find Them in Your Tree

  • For individual insects or small clusters, simple physical removal is often the best approach. Use a damp cloth to wipe away aphids or other small bugs. For spider egg sacs or praying mantis cases, carefully clip the affected branch and dispose of it in a sealed plastic bag in your outdoor trash.
  • Vacuum up any visible bugs, then immediately empty the canister or dispose of the bag in your outdoor trash to prevent insects from crawling back out.
  • For persistent pest issues, food-grade diatomaceous earth can be an effective, non-toxic solution. Lightly dust it around the base of your tree and on the tree skirt.

How to Prevent Holiday Pests from Entering Your Home

Inspect Your Tree Carefully Before Purchase

Before committing to a tree, take time to thoroughly examine it for signs of pest activity. Look closely at the trunk, branches, and needles for: small holes or tunnels in the bark, egg sacs or cocoons attached to branches, clusters of tiny insects, sticky residue or honeydew, white, cottony masses, fine webbing between branches, or unusual discoloration or damage to needles.

Shake It Out

Most Christmas tree lots and farms offer mechanical tree shakers that vigorously shake the tree to remove loose needles, debris, and insects. Always request this service before loading your tree onto your vehicle. If a mechanical shaker isn’t available, ask an attendant to manually shake the tree, or do it yourself by firmly grasping the trunk and giving it several good shakes. You’d be surprised how many bugs will fall out with a little agitation.

Let Your Tree Acclimate in the Garage

Before bringing your Christmas tree inside, consider letting it spend 24 to 48 hours in your garage or another covered outdoor area. This transition period allows any remaining insects to vacate the tree naturally. The garage environment is typically too cold for pests to thrive but warm enough that they’ll become active and leave in search of better conditions.

Avoid Using Aerosol Insecticides

While it might seem logical to spray your tree with bug killer, this is actually a bad idea. Aerosol insecticides are highly flammable and can create a serious fire hazard, especially around Christmas lights. Instead, rely on physical removal methods and your home’s dry indoor environment to naturally eliminate any lingering pests.

Vacuum Regularly Around Your Tree

Throughout the holiday season, make a habit of vacuuming around the base of your tree regularly. This simple practice removes fallen needles, which can harbor insects, and captures any bugs that may have dropped from the branches. Pay special attention to the tree skirt and any wrapped presents stored beneath the tree.

Dispose of Your Tree Promptly After the Holidays

Once the holiday season ends, don’t let your tree linger indoors longer than necessary. The longer a cut tree remains in your home, the greater the chance that any dormant eggs or insects could become active. Remove your tree promptly and consider participating in a local tree recycling program.

When to Call a Professional Pest Control Service

While most Christmas tree pest situations resolve themselves, there are times when professional intervention is the smartest choice. Contact Batzner Pest Control if you experience any of the following:

  • Large numbers of insects emerging from your tree.
  • Pests spreading beyond the tree area.
  • If you’re unsure what type of pest you’re dealing with.
  • Ongoing infestation after tree removal.
  • Presence of wood-destroying insects (including termites).

Protect Your Home This Holiday Season with Batzner Pest Control

At Batzner Pest Control, we understand that the last thing any Wisconsin homeowner wants to deal with during the holidays is a pest problem. 

We’ve been proudly serving Wisconsin families for over 75 years, providing reliable, effective pest control solutions for every season. Our team is trained to handle all types of household pests, from the tiny aphids that might hitch a ride on your Christmas tree to the mice looking for warm shelter during Wisconsin‘s cold winters.

Call us today at (262) 786-5313 or contact us online here to schedule your free consultation.

Pest Seasonality in Wisconsin

Stink bugs are a seasonal pest problem in Wisconsin - Batzner Pest Control

Here in Wisconsin, pests are a problem all year-long. Different weather conditions and seasonality plays a large role in what pests are most active during certain parts of the year. Some pests that prefer warmer weather nearly disappear in the winter, while other pests in the fall will overwinter in your home until spring rolls around. To better prepare yourself for a possible infestation, it’s important to know which pests are common during certain parts of the year. With information from the NPMA, we are here to share all you need to know about pest seasonality in Wisconsin.

Fall & Winter Pests

Colder weather and snow will always drive more pests indoors in the fall and winter months. In 2020, it has been predicted that a milder winter than usual will result in prolonged Asian lady beetle and stink bug activity. Tick problems may also be active for longer this season. Other pests to be wary of during the colder months of the year in Wisconsin include rodents, boxelder bugs, carpenter ants, and more.

Winter pests in the Great Lakes United States map
 
Beetles
 
Stink Bugs
 
Ticks

Spring Pest Problems

Pest activity springs back into action once winter comes to an end. Blooming flowers, warming temperatures, and heavy rainfall encourages pests of all kinds to resume activity and reproduce. The common spring pests in Wisconsin include:

  • Ants. Certain ant species will forage for food in the warmer months. Rainy weather also drives ants out of their colonies and into homes for shelter.
  • Termites Every spring, termites leave their nests to mate and start new colonies. This is called “swarming”.
  • Mosquitoes. When we experience heavy rainfall, mosquito season will burst into life. With their peak season in the months following, they start to be more active in the spring.
  • Bed Bugs. While these are a year-round problem, increased traveling in the springtime always leads to an increase in bed bug activity.

Summer Pest Threats

Summertime in Wisconsin is the busiest pest season. Summer temperatures cause many types of pest colonies to mature and grow in size. Here are the ones to look out for in Wisconsin:

  • Mosquitoes. These parasitic insects lay more eggs in the summer and tend to be our biggest pest problem this time of year.
  • Stinging insects. Wasps, bees, and hornets are at full force in the summertime. They can build nests near residential areas.
  • Flies. Summer is the peak breeding season for flies. They are infamous for being a nuisance at outdoor summer events.
  • Termites. Warm weather is when termites are able to thrive and cause the most damage.

Year-Round Pests in Wisconsin

To better prepare yourself for an infestation, it’s important to understand the pest seasonality here in Wisconsin. Our colder winters may deter some pests, but they also can drive certain pests right into our homes. To protect your property from pests year-round, contact the pest control experts at Batzner.

What Spring Pests to Expect: Ticks, Boxelder Bugs, Mosquitoes and Ants

As the weather warms and the ground thaws, spring pests will start to emerge from their winter hiding places to enjoy all the good things that the season has to offer. The additional pest activity can be a nuisance for homeowners, so be sure to keep an eye out for signs of infestations. Insect infestations can cause issues inside and outside the home that can be annoying and expensive to fix. Here are some common springtime insect pests to watch for, and the potential damage that can be caused by letting their populations get out of control:

  • Japanese Beetles– Japanese beetles begin the spring in their grub stage, nibbling away at your lawn’s root system. This can lead to dead spots and bare areas in the lawn which require reseeding. When the temperature gets warm enough, the grubs emerge from the ground as beetles and feed on the leaves of plants and trees, including ornamentals like roses.
  • Ticks– Ticks start appearing in the spring, and can cause a number of problems if they are hanging out in your yard. Their bites, while occasionally very painful to people or pets, are usually just a mild annoyance. However, being bitten should be taken seriously, as ticks are known for spreading diseases such as Lyme Disease.
  • Boxelder Bugs– Boxelder bugs don’t typically cause extensive damage to homes or foliage during the spring. They spend their spring and summer feeding and reproducing on a select few kinds of trees, primarily female box elder trees, and only occasionally cause minor damage to fruits and leaves. Crushing them can release an unpleasant odor, and their feces can stain light colored surfaces. Allowing their population to go unchecked does create a nuisance in the fall, when they reenter the home in preparation for winter.
  • Mosquitoes– Mosquito eggs begin hatching in the spring, and reach their adult stage in less than two weeks. As with ticks, mosquito bites are mostly an annoyance, but they can also spread diseases such as West Nile and yellow fever.
  • Ants– Ants also emerge from their nests in the spring, and are often drawn into your home in search of a meal. In addition to crawling all over any food that has been left out, research has shown that ants can cause or exacerbate asthma, allergies, and other respiratory issues for those sensitive to such problems.

More information on these pests, including signs of infestations, can be found on the National Pest Management Association’s website. As with other pests, spring insects are best handled by a professional. If you see any signs of an infestation in your home or workplace, please don’t hesitate to contact us!